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Vegetation <br /> Baseline vegetation information is found in Tab 10, Exhibits 10- 1 and 10- 2 of the PAP. Land <br /> Use of the area is depicted on Exhibit 4- 1. <br /> Existing vegetative communities within the permit area consist primarily of dryland pasture, <br /> improved pasturelands, and native rangelands. A detailed list of vegetation types is discussed in <br /> Tab 10 of the PAP. Pasturelands that were disturbed during construction of the Loadout have <br /> been revegetated to intermediate wheatgrass, crested wheatgrass, western wheatgrass, slender <br /> wheatgrass, Russian wildrye, timothy, alfalfa, and yellow sweet clover. Undisturbed native <br /> rangelands are dominated by sagebrush, greasewood, and rubber rabbit brush communities. <br /> These latter plant species tend to be adapted to alkaline soils. <br /> Land Use <br /> Land use information is found in Tab 4 and Exhibit 4- 1 of the PAP. Regional land use patterns <br /> are shown in Figure 1, Tab 4 of the PAP. Specific findings regarding land use are described in <br /> Section B, Item XI of this document. <br /> Land uses in the permit area and surrounding area are primarily agricultural, rangeland, <br /> industrial (a regional airport and Routt County maintenance facility), and wildlife habitat. Land <br /> is farmed along the north margin of the railroad spur and south of the Loadout facility, with <br /> winter wheat being the primary crop. Most of the disturbance associated with the construction of <br /> the Loadout occurred in areas historically utilized for crop production, but which were taken out <br /> of production and seeded with introduced grasses prior to the construction of the Loadout. <br /> Historically, grazing pressure has been heavy in the Dry Creek drainage and adjacent alkaline <br /> shrublands. A portion of the permit area is lightly grazed. A variety of wildlife species use the <br /> area's rangeland and seeded cropland areas. The Yampa Valley Airport is located one- quarter <br /> mile northeast of the permit area. The Loadout currently has a special use permit and is in <br /> compliance with the land use plans of both Routt County and the Town of Hayden. Portions of <br /> U.S. Highway 40 and Routt County Road 37 cross portions of the permit area. <br /> Postmining land uses will consist of livestock grazing on pasture land and rangeland, as well as <br /> wildlife habitat and cropland. <br /> Wildlife <br /> Detailed information on matters relating to fish and wildlife issues is found in Tabs 11 and 21 <br /> and Exhibit 11- 1 of the PAP. A summary of that information is found both here and in Section <br /> B, Item XII of this document(along with findings to fish and wildlife issues). <br /> Four habitat types have been distinguished and described for the permit area: 1) aquatic areas <br /> associated with streams and impoundments, 2) saline/alkaline shrublands, 3) saline/alkaline <br /> meadows and 4) areas disturbed as a result of construction of the Loadout, abandoned croplands <br /> 7 <br />